~ Bringing more people to Shelby and Shelby to more people

Why I care

**Bring Shelby to more people. Bring more people to Shelby.**

Far away from civilization
My nine-to-five job was located in upper Cleveland County; ten miles from the “uptown” restaurants and twelve from the “downtown” fast food chains. Needless to say, our lunch options were limited.

It wasn’t often that I was asked to “call in an order” but this is where my story began; chasing a cheeseburger. You’d think “calling in an order” would not have been an event – certainly not anything that would require more detail than, “So, I called in the order.” … but nay.

Several months after a new burger joint/convenience store/gas station opened down the street from us my boss asked me to order a bacon-cheeseburger from the young but established store. However, neither of us could remember the name. After several 411 attempts and various Google searches I finally came up with a phone number. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I picked up the phone and dialed. I was really disappointed to hear, “We’re sorry. The number you dialed is not in service.”

Unsolicited assistance
Let me tell you a little secret: I’m a fixer. If it’s broken, crooked, or squeaky, it takes every shred of self-control in me to hold back the obsessive-compulsive urge to fix it, straighten it, or oil it. Considering my Ms. Fix-it personality, the fact that their business information was incorrect or absent from most search engines really seemed like an invitation to meddle.

I was determined to fix the problem so I drove the short way down to the store to place the order. I was there for more than a cheeseburger though and much like hoping for a first date, I scribbled out my name and phone number on a piece of scrap paper from my purse. I explained to the store clerk that I wanted to help get their store listed on the Internet and asked if the owner would give me a call.

Two days passed and my phone didn’t ring.

Three days passed and their store no longer existed. I’m not lying when I tell you this … the owner literally packed up and moved out three days later.

They had been operating in an unpopular part of town with a simple neon sign. No advertising. No online marketing. No fresh paint or pretty landscaping. When I handed them my scribbled offer I thought the worst case scenario might be rejection of my offer. I had no idea it was already too late.

Location, Location, Location
All this to say, I don’t want this to happen to your business. If you’re looking to attract new customers or lure back the one-timers, claim your rightful place on the web. Let’s put your business on the map and give your customers the best chance to find you. You may be out in the “middle of nowhere” but your presence on the web will bring you face to face with your customers. You can’t get much closer than that!